


Flowers For You

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Bucky Barnes x Reader Series [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21615658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: Bucky needs to feel useful again, so he decides to apply for a volunteer position at the local VA.  But then he meets you.  Will he ever work up the courage to ask you out, or will he let his demons control his life forever?
Relationships: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Series: Bucky Barnes x Reader Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/774297
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	Flowers For You

**Bucky Barnes x Reader**

**Summary** – Bucky needs to feel useful again, so he decides to apply for a volunteer position at the local VA. But then he meets you. Will he ever work up the courage to ask you out, or will he let his demons control his life forever?

**Warnings** – Angst, Fluff…probably a curse word or two

**Word Count** – 11K

**Notes **\- Parts 1 - 10 of 10

** _**Updated November 4, 2019**_ **

_ ** [Masterlist](https://beccaanne814.tumblr.com/post/174989754188/masterlist) ** _

[[MORE]]

"How many more?" YN asked as she banged her head against her desk.

She and her assistant had been interviewing people all day for the open position. So far, she'd had one lady who insisted that her emotional support snake had to come to work with her. Another man had come in reeking of alcohol and asking if he could use sick time for when the aliens abducted him every month. 

One by one, every single person that had answered the ad she'd posted on Facebook had turned out to be crazy. She and Darcy had been at it for almost six hours and she was absolutely exhausted and wanted nothing more to go home and soak in the tub with a bottle of wine.

"There's three more left,"Darcy said with a hopeful smile.

"Do any of them look normal?" YN asked with a sigh. 

Darcy gave her a wink. "Well, there's this one guy. . ."

"No," she told her assistant. "I don't care how cute he is. I'm just looking for someone that has at least the majority of their ducks in a row—it doesn't have to be all of them, none of us have them all—I just need most of them to be marching along like good little ducklings."

"You've lost it," Darcy announced as she peeked her head back into the waiting room and called for the next applicant to enter.

At first glance, the man seemed to be normal—his hair was long, but he'd pulled it back into a bun at the nape of his neck. He was wearing clean clothes and smelled like he'd taken a shower that morning. She was starting to get her hopes up about this guy.

"Please come in," she told him as she came around the desk to greet him. 

She extended her hand for him to shake, and that's when she noticed it. She'd been around war vets long enough to get used to prosthetics, so it wasn't the shiny metal arm that caught her attention—it was the bouquet of flowers that it held.

She looked up at him in confusion. "Are these for me?"

He looked down at the flowers in his hand as though he'd forgotten he was carrying them. "Uh, yeah."

"Thank you, I think," she said as he thrust the flowers toward her, giving her no choice but to accept them.

She turned around in a slow circle until she spotted her water bottle sitting on the desk behind her. Unscrewing the lid, she shoved the flowers into the bottle and then turned back to face him.

"I'm sorry," he said, dropping his head. "I wasn't sure what the proper protocol was these days, and I figured that since you were a lady, flowers wouldn't hurt."

What she'd initially seen as just another crazy person slowly started to morph into a man that was simply nervous. "I apologize for being rude. The flowers are lovely, and I appreciate the gesture, Mr. . .?"

"Barnes," he said as he held out his hand. "James Barnes, but everyone just calls me Bucky."

She took his hand and wasn't surprised by the firm grip—he looked like a guy that kept himself in shape. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bucky. So tell me, where did you serve?"

Bucky took a deep breath. This was the moment he'd been dreading, but Steve had assured him that he'd be just fine as long as he told the truth. Bucky had been losing his mind wandering the halls of the near-empty Tower in Manhattan and Steve had suggested he apply for the volunteer position at the VA. He'd balked at first, but then he'd read the post and saw her picture. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about her that had caught his attention—so much that he'd immediately scheduled an appointment for an interview and bought her flowers to boot. Now that he was sitting in front of her, he knew he'd made the right decision.

YN was engrossed with the spreadsheet on her computer screen, so she didn't notice the man standing at the threshold to her office until he knocked. Jumping slightly, her hand went to her chest in a vain attempt to slow her now racing heart.

"I'm sorry," the man apologized with a smile. "I have a delivery for a YN YLN."

"That's me," YN confirmed as she stood and rounded her desk.

"Then these are for you."

YN finally noticed the elaborate bouquet of flowers the same time she read the name of the local florist shop stitched above the pocket of his button down shirt. A smile spread across her face as she took the flowers and buried her nose in the fragrant blooms.

"Thank you," she said absently as the delivery guy shot her a wink and headed back to the front entrance.

Taking the bouquet back to her desk, she sat and unclipped the tiny envelope from the clear plastic holder buried within the blooms. "I hope these brighten your day. Bucky."

The smile on her face deepened as she read over the words on the card once more. Since she'd offered him the position a few weeks ago, he'd been an exemplary employee, but he hadn't spoken more than two words to her at a time. She'd thought they'd had a moment at his interview, but when he hadn't asked her out after the first week, she'd convinced herself that she'd imagined it. Now she was faced with the realization that he must have felt the same spark she'd felt that day.

Another knock on her door had her jumping in surprise for the second time that day. If this kept up, she'd end up in the ER from a heart attack before the day was out. Looking up, she saw it was Bucky and she knew there was no way she'd ever get her heart to slow down anytime soon.

"Hello," she said a little breathlessly as she struggled to put her thoughts in order.

"Hi," he replied with a bashful look on his face. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

She quickly shook her head as she rose from her desk and began walking toward him. "No, not at all. I was just admiring my flowers."

Bucky's brow furrowed as his gaze flickered toward the bouquet sitting on her desk. "They're really pretty." He paused as he took a long breath. "He's a lucky guy."

It was YN's turn to be confused. She wanted to ask him what he meant, but before she could say a word, he'd changed the subject.

"I just wanted to let you know that the coffee cart at the front entrance is out of to-go cups. Do I need to order those, or is there a storeroom where the extras are kept? I know this isn't your responsibility, but Darcy wasn't at her desk."

"Cups?" YN asked as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Yeah, the to-go cups," he repeated as he gave her a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

No, she wasn't alright, but she couldn't tell him that. Her mind was reeling as she tried to figure out what was going on. She knew she'd read the card correctly, but he was acting as though he hadn't been the one to send the flowers. But if he hadn't, then who had? And why had that person put Bucky's name on the card?

"Who peed in your Cheerios?" Sam asked as he walked into the kitchen to find Bucky staring forlornly into his bowl of cereal.

Bucky pushed around the little O's with his spoon and sighed. "I've been working up the courage to ask out YN, but. . ."

Sam's eyebrows raised in question when Bucky stopped speaking. "But what?"

"I think she's already seeing someone." He dropped the spoon and it clattered loudly against the side of the bowl.

"Did she tell you that?"

"Well, no. . .not exactly." He pushed away the half-eaten bowl of cereal and sat back in his chair. "The flowers on her desk kinda gave it away."

"The flowers on her desk?" Sam asked as his mouth formed a hard line. "The flowers I went to all the trouble of sending her with your name on the card? Are those the flowers you're talking about?"

Bucky's expression turned murderous. "What did you do, Wilson?"

"What you should have done weeks ago."

Closing his eyes with a groan, Bucky banged his head on the counter. "Please tell me this is one of your stupid pranks."

"What? Sending her flowers from you?" Sam scoffed and turned to grab a glass so he could pour himself some juice. "I wouldn't involve her in one of my pranks. That's just mean."

Bucky looked up in horror. "You really did it?" With another groan, he ran his hands through his hair and cursed. "No wonder she was looking at me like an idiot. What in the hell were you thinking?"

Sam put the carton of juice back in the fridge and gave Bucky a chastising look. "I was thinking that you were taking too damn long. I've been to the VA. I've seen the way you two make moon eyes at each when you think no one is watching." He shrugged as he downed the entire glass of juice. "I just moved things along a bit."

"I'm going to be sick," Bucky muttered as he shook his head. "How am I ever going to look at her again?"

Sam shook his head. "Dammit, Barnes. Weren't you were supposed to be some legendary ladies man back in the day?"

Bucky pushed back his chair and left the room without answering Sam. It was true that he'd been a notorious skirt chaser before the war, but since his time with HYDRA, he was constantly doubting himself. YN was a wonderful woman, but she dealt with traumatized vets everyday. Why would she ever want to date one?

He tried to forget what Sam had done, but there was no ignoring it. YN thought he'd sent her flowers and now she was probably confused at his behavior the other day. How was he going to explain things to her without sounding like an ass?

So conflicted on what to do, Bucky ended up calling in sick. He just couldn't face YN until he knew what he was going to tell her, but so far he hadn't come up with anything. Steve might be able to help, but Bucky wanted to solve this problem on his own.

At the end of the day, he still had no idea what to do and worry was sitting hard in his gut. The first sick day turned into two, and before he realized it, he'd called in every day for a week. He spent most of his time in his room brooding with the curtains drawn, so he really had no concept of time. All he knew was that every time he thought about YN, dread settled in his gut like a rock.

"What are we going to do?" Steve asked Sam as they stood down the hall from Bucky's room and stared at the closed door.

"I've got an idea, but I'll need your help."

Steve gave Sam a hard look. "Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this?"

Darcy poked her head into YN's office and sadly shook her head. It had been a full week since Bucky had shown up for his volunteer shift at the VA and YN was started to get worried. After the mysterious flowers and his even more mysterious reaction to them, she'd written off his absences as nervousness. By Wednesday, she'd gotten angry and had even drafted a letter terminating him as a volunteer—if he couldn't be trusted to show up for his shifts, she'd be forced to find someone else. 

But then by Friday with no word from him, she suddenly begun to wonder if something had happened to him. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers suffering from PTSD to have relapses and a part of her wondered if she should reach out to some of his friends to make sure he was alright.

When Sam Wilson showed up in her office late that afternoon, she felt her heart skip a beat. Was he at the VA with good news or bad?

"Hey, YN," he said with his usual easy going smile.

YN's nerves settled a bit upon seeing his smile. If he were there with bad news, he wouldn't look so chipper. "Hi, Sam. What can I do for you?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't really want to talk about it here. Would you meet me at the coffee shop around the block after you get off work?"

Sam was relieved when she agreed and promised to explain everything once they were out of the office. As soon as he was in the hall, he grabbed his phone and shot off a quick message. "Phase 1 complete. Phase 2 is on you."

Steve pulled out his phone and read Sam's message. A smile came over his face and he typed out a quick reply to let Sam know he was ready. He looked back up at Bucky and continued the conversation they'd been having for the past thirty minutes.

"Sorry, that was Sam—nothing important. But back to what we were talking about. I really think you need to get out a bit more. Why don't we head back to Brooklyn for the afternoon and walk around for a bit. Seeing some of the old haunts might make you feel better."

It had been a week, and Steve was genuinely worried about his friend. He knew Bucky's confidence had been lacking for a while following his escape from HYDRA and his time on the run, but he also knew how much he'd grown to care for YN. Steve wanted to throttle Sam for pushing too hard, but he'd been forced to admit that the plan Sam had come up with to fix the problem he'd created was pretty genius—they just needed to make sure it worked.

"Maybe you're right," Bucky conceded dejectedly. Being cooped up indoors hadn't helped him clear his head, so perhaps a walk down memory lane might help.

He got himself cleaned up and he and Steve walked down to the subway station around the block from the Tower. Riding the subway made him jittery—trains weren't a favorite of his, even if they were underground—but it was quicker than a taxi or the bus.

They started at the Brooklyn Bridge and began aimlessly walking the streets they'd grown up on. After a while Bucky realized that Steve had been right. Even though the storefronts were all different, and some buildings were gone completely, there was still enough left of their old neighborhoods for him to grow nostalgic. Bucky was already starting to feel better, and the incident with YN didn't seem as dire as it had a week prior.

When they rounded the block and saw the coffee shop, Steve suggested they stop in and grab something to eat. They'd been wandering for over an hour, and Bucky was starting to get hungry, so he shrugged and opened the door.

"You go ahead," Steve said as he pulled out his phone. "I just got a text. Let me see who it is and I'll be right in."

Steve waited until Bucky was in the shop before texting Sam. "Phase 2 complete. Phase 3?"

A message came back immediately. "Package is heading your way. Take cover."

Steve hurried back down the block and rounded the corner. Peeking around the building, he watched as YN made her way to the coffee shop and walk in.

"Package has been delivered. Begin Phase 3," Steve texted to Sam.

"On it," Sam texted back.

Bucky stood in line and looked up at the board behind the counter. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what some of those words even meant. He'd learned a bit of French and German in the war, but coffee lingo was a language all of it's own, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to try to understand it. What was wrong with a simple cup of black coffee these days?

When he heard his name being called by the barista at the pick-up counter, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "I haven't even ordered yet," he mumbled to himself.

As he was walking over to get his coffee, the barista called out another name that had him stopping dead in his tracks. Quickly looking over his shoulder he found YN staring at him with the same dumbfounded expression on her face that he knew was on his own.

She got out of line and joined him at the counter. "I'm going to assume from the look on your face that this wasn't your idea."

He dropped his head and began rubbing the back of his neck. "No, but I have a feeling I know who's idea it was. Rest assured, the two men responsible for this won't go unpunished."

She started to warn him about causing bodily harm to his friends, but then she saw the glint of humor in his eyes and realized he was joking. "I think you can forgive them this once, don't you think?"

Bucky grabbed the two coffees and nodded toward an empty table in the back. She led the way and let him have the seat closest the the wall, knowing that most soldiers liked to have the exits in view when they were in a crowed place.

"If this was the first time they'd done something like this, I might be more forgiving," he told her as he held out her chair and waited until she'd sat before taking his own.

She started to ask what he meant, and then realization dawned on her. "The flowers." When he closed his eyes and let out a long breath, she had to cover her mouth with her hand. "I can't believe they did that to you."

He looked back up at her in disbelief. "You've met Sam Wilson. Are you really telling me you can't see him doing something like that?"

"You're right," she said as she began to chuckle. When her laughter died away, she looked at him somberly. "But why haven't you been at work all week?"

He began to play with the cup of coffee in front of him so he wouldn't have to meet her eyes. "I've wanted to ask you out on a date since I met you, but I wasn't sure you were interested in me like that. You deal with vets all day long and I just thought you'd want someone normal in your life. . ."

She reached across the table and grabbed both of his hands, making sure she didn't flinch from the chill of his metal one. "Everyone has baggage, Bucky." She waited until his gaze rose to meet hers. "I would never let something like that keep me from being with someone I truly cared about."

The intensity of her gaze was impossible to misread, and he felt like a fool for doubting her. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," she told him as she squeezed his hands and returned them to the cup of coffee sitting in front of her. "But how about from here on out, we plan our own dates and let Sam and Steve worry about finding their own ladies."

Bucky's face split into a wide grin. "Maybe we should return the favor."

Her eyes narrowed mischievously. "I know the perfect women to set them up with."

"I don't want anyone's feelings to get hurt." Bucky thought about horrible it would be for some poor woman to be set up on a blind date as a joke, and he knew he didn't want to be responsible for that.

YN gave him a wink. "Don't worry. Once these ladies hear what they did to us, they'll be more than happy to play along and make their lives miserable for an evening."

Bucky raised his coffee mug for a toast. "I like the way you think—they'll never know what hit them."

She tapped her cup against his and then took a tentative sip of the hot brew. They might be plotting their revenge on Sam and Steve, but YN knew she had the two men to thank for helping Bucky admit his true feelings for her. Once they'd had their fun, she'd make sure to have them all over for dinner so she could properly show her gratitude. But until then, she was going to enjoy every second of this impromptu date, and the retribution she and Bucky would rain down upon their heads.

While Bucky and YN were thankful for Steve and Sam giving them the push they needed to finally admit their true feelings, they hadn't forgotten how underhanded the two heroes had acted while they'd done it. The plan they'd concocted in the coffee shop during their blind date had taken a few weeks to orchestrate, but it was time well spent. It had also given them plenty of reasons to see one another, and neither one of them were complaining about that, either.

"Okay, we've got it all ready to go for tonight?" Bucky asked YN and Darcy as he sat perched on the edge of YN's desk.

Darcy had a huge grin on her face as she did a little butt wiggle. "I'm going on a date with Captain America tonight."

"No you're not," YN warned her assistant. "You're helping us get revenge on Captain America tonight."

Darcy brushed aside YN's words as she made a "pffting" sound. "You say tomato, I say tah-mato."

Ignoring Darcy, Bucky addressed YN. "You've got your other friend ready to go for Sam?"

YN nodded. "Yep. Quilla knows what time Sam leaves this afternoon and she'll be outside the VA waiting to run into him."

"Why don't I get to run into Steve?" Darcy said with a pout. "I'd love to get my hands on. . ."

"You're playing the damsel in distress," YN interrupted with a hard look. "And keep your hands to yourself."

Bucky started shaking his head. "On second thought, maybe you should invade his personal space a bit. Steve's not known for his confidence with strong women."

Darcy stood up from her chair and gave Bucky a loud smacking kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Bucky Barnes."

When YN saw the blush start to rise up from under his collar she began to chuckle. "Steve's not the only one that has confidence issues with strong women."

"Hey, now," Bucky protested, but only half heartedly.

Darcy went to leave, but stopped at the door for one last question. "You're sure he's going to pass by me on his way back home this afternoon. I'd hate to let out all the air in my tire and actually get stranded on the side of the road."

"I promise," Bucky said. "He's doing a charity event at the Children's Hospital in Brooklyn, and he always likes to drive past the old neighborhood when he's in that part of town. Park exactly where I told you and flag him down when he passes."

"Gotcha," Darcy said with a wink. "Then I get to take him out for dinner and thoroughly embarrass him."

YN gave Darcy and wave and turned back to Bucky. "I think this is going to work, don't you?"

Bucky's face split into a wide grin. "Absolutely. Steve's going to stop and help Darcy with her tire and then she'll treat him to a dinner he'll never forget. And then Quilla will mow Sam down outside the building and insist on taking him for coffee to make up for it. I almost feel bad knowing he's going to get a hot, steaming cup of coffee spilled into his lap, but I just don't feel bad enough not to go through with it."

She began laughing as a devious look came over her face. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they come home tonight."

"Speaking of tonight," Bucky said as her words reminded him of their plans for the evening. "Was there anything particular you'd like for dinner. We can do take-out, or I can cook?"

"Hmm," she said as she thought for a moment. "Take-out would be easier, but I think I kinda like the idea of you cooking for me. What's your specialty?"

"I'm pretty good with pasta."

"Pasta it is," she said with a wink. "Now go get back to work before I have to tell the boss to fire you."

"You can't get me fired," he teased as he stood up and tapped the desk with his finger. "The boss kinda has a crush on me."

"She does, does she?"

Flirting used to come second nature to him, but since he was still getting the hang of it again, a blush began to tint his cheeks as he dropped his head. "I'll see you tonight."

YN smiled at his retreating back and then returned to the pile of paperwork sitting on her desk. As much as she liked seeing her new boyfriend whenever she wanted, she found she was becoming distracted by him more than she would've liked. With a sigh, she began reading over a budget proposal that needed to be approved by the end of the day, but her thoughts kept drifting to the two horrible dates Sam and Steve would be having in a few hours.

By the time she made it to dinner with Bucky, anticipation was about to drive her crazy. Both Darcy and Quilla had texted just before they'd made their move, and she and Bucky were anxiously awaiting updates as he cooked dinner.

"Darcy just texted," she announced as Bucky poured the pasta into the boiling water.

He rushed over so he could read the text over her shoulder. "Steve changing tire now." 

"Ooh, here's one from Quilla," YN said as another text popped up on her screen. "Sam's buying coffee. Wish me luck!"

"This is working out perfectly," Bucky said with a smile as he walked back to the stove to finish making preparations for dinner. "All we have to do is sit back and wait for the fun to start."

She nodded in agreement and rose to start setting the table. It was her first time in the Avenger's home, but everyone she'd met since she arrived had made her feel welcome. They'd all said their hello's and then rushed off to give her and Bucky some privacy. YN wondered if they'd have been so eager to go if they'd known what she and Bucky were up to that night.

Darcy and Quilla continued to update them as the evening wore on and YN and Bucky spent their entire dinner laughing at the antics the two women were putting Bucky's friends through. Darcy had channeled her inner When Harry Met Sally and become the world's pickiest eater her and Steve's waiter had ever met. Quilla had complained about every cup of coffee Sam brought back to the table—too hot, not hot enough, too much milk, not enough milk—the list had gone on and on. She'd reported that Sam's patience was growing thinner with each trip back to the counter, and she and Bucky couldn't have been happier. 

By the time Bucky had served dessert, the two of them were on the edge of their seats waiting for Steve and Sam to come home. Both ladies had texted that they'd completed their missions and that the men were heading back home with their tails between their legs. 

When they heard the elevator ding, she and Bucky shared a look of pure joy. They knew what to expect with Sam, but when they saw Steve straggling in soaked from head to toe, they began to laugh uncontrollably.

Sam and Steve shared a look when they found YN and Bucky sitting at the table waiting for them. As though a lightbulb had gone off in both of their heads, they suddenly came to the same realization.

"You did this," Sam accused as he gestured to the stained crotch of his pants.

"I fell into a koi pond," Steve announced with a look of pure rage on his face. "Do you have any idea how miserable it is to ride a motorcycle across the bridge soaking wet?"

"A koi pond?" YN asked with a snort of laughter. "How did that happen?"

"Who cares about a damn fish pond," Sam yelled as he pointed to his crotch again. "I just had an entire cup of coffee poured on my junk. Do you know how painful that is?"

Bucky sat back in his chair and crossed his legs at the ankle. "That'll teach you two to mess with my love life again."

"You son of a bitch," Sam said as he started across the room with a fist raised.

As mad as Steve was, he couldn't condone Sam beating the shit out of Bucky, so he lunged forward and grabbed Sam before he had a chance to take a swing. As he held onto Sam, Steve looked at Bucky hopefully. "We're even now, right?"

"I don't know," Bucky said as he turned to YN. "Are we even, doll?"

She took a sip of her coffee and gave the two men standing before her a long look. Turning back to Bucky, she rose and extended her hand. When he took it and let her start leading him out of the room, she looked back over her shoulder and addressed Steve and Sam. "We'll be even once you two wash all those dirty dishes in the sink. Have fun, boys."

As Bucky looked out at the group of veterans in the activity room, he couldn't believe the difference in the men and women he'd been working with for the past few months. Even YN had to admit that his idea hadn't been as crazy as she'd originally thought.

"This is amazing," she told Bucky as she watched the group of veteran's smile and laugh like she'd never seen them do before. "You should be so proud of yourself."

"I didn't really do anything," said Bucky with a lopsided shrug.

She shook her head, but didn't say anything else. After dating Bucky Barnes for almost three months, she knew enough about him to realize that he'd never take the credit for what was arguably the best program they'd ever implemented for vets suffering from PTSD.

Thinking back, she recalled the day it had all began. It had been a Monday. She knew that because Bucky always brought her fresh flowers on Monday, and he'd had a huge bouquet of sunflowers in one hand, and in the other was a filthy mutt.

"What is that?" she asked with a frown.

He held out the bouquet with a smile. "Sunflowers. The florist said they'll last all week if you add this little packet of food to the water on Wednesday."

Her frown deepened as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I know what sunflowers are. I was talking about the dog."

Bucky looked down at the puppy in his arms as though he'd forgotten all about him. "Oh, this little guy? I found him in the alley by the florist and he looked hungry."

"So you brought him here?"

"I thought he might cheer everyone up," he said with another shrug.

"He's going to give everyone fleas, is what he's going to do." She shook her head. "You're going to have to take him to the shelter. We can't have a dog in here."

Bucky's face fell, but he nodded and turned to leave. 

She hated to be the one to put a frown on his face, especially since she was slowly starting to fall in love with his smile. But rules were rules, and as the one in charge, she had to be the one to enforce them.

By the time lunch rolled around, she'd completely forgotten about the puppy, but when she heard the excited yips coming from the activity room, she remembered in an instant. Anger washed over her, and she stormed into the room. But the sight before her had her drawing up short and rethinking her standpoint on dogs in the VA.

The puppy was no longer filthy, and from the slight bulge around his middle, YN assumed that he wasn't hungry anymore, either. She'd been working with some of these vets for almost a year, but that day was the first time she'd ever seen some of them smile as the puppy took turns running to each person for a scratch behind the ear, or a belly rub.

She walked over to Bucky and leaned in so only he could hear her. "What happened to the shelter?" He had the decency to look abashed, so that made her feel a little better at having her instructions ignored.

He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and he dropped his head and looked up at her through his lashes. "Chuck saw me heading out the door with him, and he asked to pet him."

"And then?" she asked, knowing he hadn't even scratched the surface of his story.

"And then Helena walked past and saw Chuck holding Sarge. . ."

"You named it?" YN interrupted as her eyes grew wide in shock.

Bucky shrugged and scrunched up his nose. "It wasn't my idea." He let out a sigh and continued his story. "Anyway, they suggested I go to the pet store down the street and get him some shampoo and food."

Her face contorted in painful shock. "Please tell me you didn't bathe that dog in the kitchen sink."

"No, no," he quickly assured her as he reached out and laid a hand on her arm. "We used the utility sink in the janitor's closet. Bill said it was alright. He even got some towels for us so we could dry him off."

Sarge had just been the beginning, though. The vet's had fallen in love with him, and had begun fighting over who got to hold him during therapy sessions, or take him for a walk, so Bucky had decided that Sarge needed a friend. Before YN could even voice a word of concern, another puppy had shown up by the end of the week. Within three weeks, there had been five dogs running around the VA activity room.

Feeling like he'd finally found his purpose, Bucky had organized a fundraising drive to buy food and toys for the strays he continued to find wandering the streets of Brooklyn, and he'd even gotten a local kennel to house them at night for no charge.

YN had always heard that therapy animals were wonderful for veterans, but when she'd researched the possibility of purchasing one, she hadn't been able to justify the cost when there were so many other programs that needed funding. Little had she known that a handful of strays could do the same job for a fraction of the cost. 

The vets still had a long way to go, but, like Bucky, they'd found a purpose in helping to take care of train the dogs. In less than a month, she'd seen some of the most downtrodden men and women open up during therapy sessions, and they'd even started making more of an effort in their personal lives. Once again, she'd been grateful for giving Bucky a chance all those months ago when he'd charmed her in his interview by bringing her a bouquet of flowers. She wasn't sure how he did it, but he was able to take something so simple and ordinary as a group of stray dogs, and turn it into something amazing.

"So, I had an idea," YN said when Bucky came in on Monday morning with a fresh bouquet of flowers for her.

He leaned over and gave her a kiss before setting the flowers into the vase on her desk. "I'm sure it's a great idea, doll. What'd you have in mind?"

"Everyone seems to be in a lighter mood since we brought in all the dogs. I was thinking we could take advantage of that and host something fun."

"We have bingo every Thursday," he reminded her as he propped one hip on the corner of her desk.

She rolled her eyes. "Bingo is for retirement homes." She waved away her comment. "Never mind that. I was thinking of hosting a Military Ball next Saturday night."

Bucky cocked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "You mean like full military dress and all the pomp and circumstance?"

"You don't like the idea," she said with a defeated sigh.

"No, no," he quickly assured her. "I think it's a great idea, but I'm just wondering how everyone here will feel about it."

"I've been putting some feelers out and I've got a few venues already interested in sponsoring." She pulled up her spreadsheet and began reading it aloud. "There are a handful of restaurants that are willing to cater hors d'oeuvres, entrees, sides, and desserts. I've got a local DJ that will provide music for free if we feed him. The party store down the block is willing to provide decorations if we put their logo on the programs. And the military surplus in Queens will rent dress uniforms for those that don't have one still. It wouldn't be a requirement, but I thought it would be nice for everyone to wear one."

He gave her a long look. "Doll, you've already planned out this whole thing. Why are you asking my opinion?"

"Because I need to know if it's worth putting the work into before I finalize all the plans."

The hopeful look in her eye was all it took to win him over. With a sigh, he tried to figure out if he even still had a dress uniform. The Smithsonian probably had it on display, but there might be a chance they'd let him borrow it for the night.

"I think it'll be wonderful." He gave her a smile as he got up and headed toward the door. "Want me to spread the word, or wait for you to announce it."

She shrugged. "I think the vets will be more willing to get on board if you're already on board."

He looked down at his watch. "Okay, we're all getting together in about thirty minutes to go get the pups from the kennel. I'll tell them about it then." He stopped at the door and peeked back in at her. "Don't worry about a thing. This is going to be perfect."

Bucky had been surprised at how well the idea of the Military Ball took hold. Most of the vets had mixed feelings about their service, but one thing they all could agree on was how much fun the Dine-Ins and Dine-Outs had been. He'd even told Steve and Sam about the idea, and they'd jumped at the chance to attend and show their new girls how handsome they were in their dress uniforms. Even Rhodey had asked to come, and had made a large donation to help cover some of the costs YN couldn't get written off.

As the day of the Ball grew closer, Bucky went to the Smithsonian to pick up his uniform. The old, white-haired guard with the tinted glasses hadn't wanted to let him leave with the uniform, but eventually Bucky had convinced him that he had all the correct paperwork and would bring it back by Monday afternoon at the latest.

He'd taken the old drab green pants and jacket back home and tried them on for size. The sleeve with the vibranium arm was a little snug, but other than that, it fit like it had almost eighty years prior. As he stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection, he was transported back in time to the last night he'd worn it.

He'd been about to ship out, and he and Steve had taken a couple of girls to the Stark Expo. It had been the last normal night either of them had ever had. Now it felt as though that memory belonged to someone else as he looked at the man gazing back at him. He knew it didn't matter, but a part of him wanted to look his best on Saturday night, so made up his mind and called to make an appointment.

_________________

YN had chosen to wear a floor-length gown that was elegant enough for the event, but still comfortable enough to move around in as she finalized the last few details before the guests were due to arrive. She'd asked Bucky to come help, but when she glanced down at her watch, she saw he was already five minutes late.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she glanced up quickly to find a soldier in an Army dress uniform walking through the door. "I'm sorry, but the Ball doesn't start for another hour. If you'd like, you can wait in the activity room."

"I'm just here to help, doll."

The use of the pet name was what drew her attention first. She turned back around to look at the soldier, and her mouth fell open. Gone was the ruggedly handsome superhero that she'd grown to love and in his place was the most dashingly gorgeous soldier to ever wear a uniform.

"Bucky?"

A lopsided grin lifted the corner of his mouth as he bounced on his toes and gave her a wink. "It's still fits."

She walked over and ran her fingers through the much shorter strands of hair before letting her hands glide across his smooth chin. "What did you do?"

"You don't like it?" he asked, suddenly worried he'd gone too far. 

"No, I love it," she said as she continued to stare in wonder. "But I didn't ask. . ."

He grabbed her hands and held them together in his. "No, you didn't. This was something I wanted to do." He looked down at the uniform. "It just didn't look right with the long hair and scruff."

"You look like something out of a storybook."

"Prince Charming?"

She shook her head. "Prince Charming's got nothing on you, Bucky Barnes."

Bucky walked into YN’s office with his usual Monday morning bouquet and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Morning, doll.”

“Good morning,” she said automatically as she continued to read over an email. “Give me just a sec.”

“Sure thing.” He gave her a smile—which she didn’t see—and went to sit in one of her visitors’ chairs.

YN knew something felt off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Finishing up her reply to the email she’d gotten, she looked to the corner of her desk where Bucky normally sat, but he wasn’t there. Her gaze shifted to the chair in front of her desk, and it was in that moment that she finally realized what was wrong.

“Where’s your arm?”

He glanced down at the empty space on his left side. “Shuri and T’Challa are in for a visit and she wanted to fine-tune it a bit. I told her I had to get to work this morning, so we just detached it. I’m a little off-balance without it, but it’s only temporary.”

YN looked appalled. “You just detached it? Like a Mr. Potato-Head?”

Bucky started chuckling. “It’s not that big of a deal. She said she’d have it finished by lunch if I wanted to run by and grab it.” An idea suddenly came to him and his eyes lit up. “You could come with me. I’m sure Shuri would love to meet you—she was always on my case to make friends while I was in Wakanda.”

“Isn’t she a Princess?” YN half-whispered as her eyes grew wide with wonder.

“She’s a typical kid,” Bucky said as he waved away her concerns. “Tell you what—you finish up what you need to and we’ll take the subway over to Manhattan around eleven. You never take a full lunch hour, so Darcy can cover for you for an extra thirty or forty-five minutes today.”

“Okay,” YN agreed—not knowing what else to say.

Once Bucky had left, she’d looked down at her outfit. Was she dressed appropriately to meet royalty?

YN fretted and worried all morning, but when Bucky came to get her for lunch, he laughed at her nervousness and assured her the King and his sister would adore her. She still wasn’t used to seeing him with the shorter hair, and now that he was missing an arm, it was almost as like he wasn’t the same man anymore.

He took her hand as they exited the VA and began walking toward the subway station down the block. As they neared the stairs, she began frantically looking through her purse for her Metro card when a man came running toward them and grabbed her bag out of her hand.

“Son of a bitch,” Bucky yelled as he dropped YN’s hand and went chasing after the mugger.

YN called out for Bucky to stop, but he was already gaining on the criminal. He reached out and grabbed the man by the back of his shirt collar and jerked him off his feet. With only one arm, he was at a disadvantage, but it was hard to tell that by the way he effortlessly threw the mugger to the ground and placed a boot against his neck.

“Oh, my God,” YN exclaimed as she covered her mouth with her hands. She knew what he’d been forced to do for HYDRA all those years, but she’d thought he’d left that part of his life in the past. The whole altercation had taken less than a minute, but adrenaline had her heart racing as if she’d just run a 5K. 

She ran over to where Bucky was still holding down her assailant with his boot and picked her purse up off the pavement. “I’m going to call 911.”

“Don’t worry,” Bucky told her as he glared down at the terrified man. “He’s not going anywhere.”

The police showed up to take their statements and arrest the man who’d grabbed her purse, but he tried playing the victim card.

“He’s a ruthless killer, man,” the mugger whined as they handcuffed him behind his back. “I was minding my own business when he came out of nowhere and attacked me. You’ve seen the news stories—you know I’m telling the truth about him.”

Both Bucky and YN disputed his claim, but it wasn’t until a tourist came over with video evidence that the matter was finally cleared up.

“I was updating my Instagram story when I saw this guy grab her purse,” the tourist explained as he showed them all his video. “You can clearly see that the Winter Soldier guy only went after him because he took his lady-friend’s purse.”

Appeased, the cops put the mugger into the back of their cruiser and instructed them to go to the station a few blocks down to make their formal complaints.

“Well, I guess we won’t be meeting T’Challa and Shuri today,” Bucky said with a one-armed shrug.

YN gave him a wary look. “Is it always like that?”

Bucky was confused. “What are you talking about, doll?”

“The way you just snapped into action,” she explained. “I barely had time to register what was going on and you already had him on the ground.”

“Oh,” he said lamely. He went to run his hand through his hair, but then remembered there wasn’t much left anymore. “It’s just reflexes—mostly from my Army training, though. Snipers had to be super-aware of their surroundings at all times.” He tentatively reached out for her hand. “I didn’t scare you, did I?”

She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Are you kidding me? It’s like I have my own personal bodyguard.” She leaned into his side and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’ll never have to worry about walking the streets of New York with you by my side.”

Bucky let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he’d thought he was about to lose her. But then he remembered what she did for a living. Working with veterans as closely as she did meant she had to understand their backgrounds and trainings more so than a regular civilian. Feeling proud of himself for being able to protect his girl—with one arm, no less—he held his head high and led her down the street toward the police station. For once in his life, he wasn’t ashamed for being the Winter Soldier.

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_Author's Note: Thank you for reading Day 247 of my writing challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! Bucky has been so sweet in this Miniseries, it’s almost easy to forget that his military training is lying there under the surface. But at least he used it to protect her! Wouldn’t you just love to have a Bucky to keep you safe everywhere you went? It’s just too bad she didn’t get a chance to meet Shuri—she would’ve loved teasing Bucky about having a girlfriend, right? I look forward to your comments, and if you enjoyed this story, please consider reblogging!_

"You want to do what?" YN was sure she'd misheard what Bucky had said—there was no way he was actually suggesting what she thought he was suggesting.

"We want to host a haunted house here at the VA," he repeated as he pulled his notes from his back pocket. "Chuck, Helena, and Bill were the ones that came up with the idea. . ."

She crossed her arms over her chest as she finished his sentence for him. "But you got tasked with getting my approval, right?"

"Dating the boss has its perks," he said with a smile.

"I'm just not sure a haunted house is the best thing for some of our veterans." She frowned and did her best to break it to him gently. "A lot of these men and women are suffering from PTSD, and I'm just worried. . ."

"We've already talked to everyone and they're all for it," Bucky interrupted. "And it's not going to be your typical haunted house."

"How so?"

"We're aiming for a kid-friendly environment," he explained as he checked his notes. "Helena found this one idea where you set up an autopsy room and have a fake corpse for the kids to touch."

"What would be in the corpse?" YN asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"Um, cold noodles for brains, peeled grapes for eyeballs, and Jell-O for the guts. It would all be covered by a sheet, so the kids wouldn't know what they were touching."

YN could see where he was going and so far, it sounded alright. "Keep talking."

Sensing that he was winning her over, he looked back down at his notes. "Chuck suggested getting a bunch of mirrors to line the hallway between rooms and putting in black lights to make their clothes glow in the dark. It wouldn't be scary, but it would be kinda spooky and the kids would probably get a kick out of it."

"You guys have really thought this out." YN wanted to take a minute to think through the logistics of planning and advertising, but Bucky beat her to it.

"I figured we could promote this as a fundraiser for the therapy dogs. Everyone has volunteered to pass out flyers while they're out walking the pups, so people could actually see the program they'd be supporting."

"That's a great idea."

"Bill thought we could hit up some of the local shops for candy donations and the kids could get a treat from every room they were in. That way they'd get something in return for their entry fee."

"Kinda like a trunk-or-treat," YN mused aloud.

"Sure," Bucky agreed even though he had no idea what a trunk-or-treat was.

"How many more ideas do you have?" YN already knew she was going to agree, but she was curious to see what else the vets had come up with.

___________________

As YN watched the kids lining up down the block to enter the haunted house from her office window, she couldn't believe how well the idea had gone over with the community. A few of the vets had opted to stay away from the spooky interior and were entertaining the kids in line by walking some of the dogs around for pets and belly rubs. The rest of them were currently inside running the show, and she was overseeing the whole thing like she normally did.

She closed the blinds and headed downstairs so she could see the show in action. Helping to set up gave her an idea of what things would look like, but seeing it with the lights turned off made it a completely different experience.

Walking along the halls she didn't recognize anymore, she peeked into the rooms and heard the delighted squeals of kids sticking their hands into Jell-O guts or walking through the activity room which had been converted into a cemetery complete with a fog machine to give it an eerie feel. 

The end of the haunted house was the main attraction, though.

YN wasn't sure how he'd managed to convince his friends to do it, but Bucky had gotten Steve and Sam to dress up in their Avengers uniforms and with the help of the Winter Soldier, they took down Red Skull in the courtyard out back again and again as each group of kids came through. 

YN knew she needed to do something special to thank Clint Barton for volunteering to dress up as the villain and get fake-punched and kicked for the entertainment of the kids. Clint had even brought his own wife and kids to help run the haunted house, and with their help, she knew it would turn out to be their biggest success that year.

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_Author's Note: Thank you for reading Day 303 of my writing challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! Do you like haunted houses? I'm not a fan of the ones where they reach out and grab you, but other than that, they're kinda fun. What did you think about the ideas for the kid-friendly haunted house? I mean, who wouldn't want to see Captain America, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier take down Red Skull? That guy is creepy enough for Halloween, so I thought he'd be a good villain for them to use. And wasn't it sweet of Clint to volunteer to play the part of the villain. He's such a great guy and you know he probably adores haunted houses. . .and all those puppies! I look forward to your comments, and if you enjoyed this story, please consider reblogging!_

"Look at this one," YN said as she pointed to a picture in the photo album. "He was so tiny."

Bucky laughed at the picture of him holding Sarge when the dog had been a scruffy-looking puppy licking his face. Now the pup had grown into a fairly large dog, but he was still as sweet as the day Bucky had found him in the alley behind the florist shop.

"It's hard to believe it's been over a year since we got him." YN reached over and scratched Sarge behind the ear. Since she and Bucky had gotten their own apartment together, they'd decided to adopt Sarge. He was still the VA's favorite therapy dog, but now he'd be able to enjoy laying on the sofa with his two favorite people at the end of the day instead of sleeping at the kennel.

"It's hard to believe it's been over a year since we started dating," Bucky commented as he flipped a page in the photo album the other vets had made for them as a house-warming gift. "Here's one of us at the Military Ball."

YN sighed as she remembered that night. Bucky had looked so dashing in his Army dress uniform with his new haircut. She'd spent more time dancing with him than she had playing hostess, but the other veterans had taken up the slack so they could enjoy a romantic evening together.

"I was already in love with you by that point, but that uniform definitely didn't hurt your chances of getting lucky that night," she teased.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Every day has been my lucky day since I met you."

She playfully pushed him away which only made him hold onto her that much tighter. "Oh, aren't you a sweet-talker? You've already won my heart, you know that, right?"

"I know," he whispered against her neck as he breathed in the intoxicating aroma that was uniquely hers. "But I grew up in a time where a man was taught that a lady always needed to be reminded of how special she was. I guess old habits die hard."

"Well, in that case, I'll stop complaining and enjoy every second of it." 

He looked around the apartment they were now calling home and remembered a time when he never thought he deserved to be happy. YN had come into his life when he'd been at his lowest, and with her love and patience, she'd shown him what life was supposed to be like. He knew the therapy sessions at the VA were a huge part of his recovery and acceptance of his past, but it didn't hurt that he had the love of an amazing woman who not only supported him, but encouraged him to seek out the help he needed. Part of the reason why he still brought her flowers every week was to remind himself how fortunate he was to have someone in his life that loved him for who he was—flaws and all.

"And here's our first haunted house," she said as she turned another page. "That went over well again this year, didn't it?"

"I have a feeling that's going to become our annual tradition."

"It's a good tradition to have. The kids love it and it's a great money-maker." He turned the page and found the pictures from their Christmas carnival. Not everyone could claim they had the world's only green Santa, but the kids had loved seeing the Hulk dressed up as Father Christmas whilst listening to Christmas wishes and giving out candy canes.

"We're going to make some traditions of our own," she said as she ran a finger over a picture of her and Bucky dressed up as Santa's elves.

"What kind of traditions were you thinking about?"

"Oh, you know," she said with a shrug, "the usual ones. Holiday parties with all of our friends, weekly movie nights curled up on the couch with our dog, lazy Sunday mornings lounging around in our pajamas in bed with the crossword puzzle. The normal stuff."

He nodded his head. "Those sound wonderful, but they're all a little PG."

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was so boring." She narrowed her eyes and playfully glared at him. "What kind of traditions were you thinking about."

"You were on the right track with that Sunday morning one." He paused and gave her a smoldering look. "But I could do without the crossword puzzle. . .or the pajamas."

"I think I see where you're going."

"Do you now?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Follow me and find out," she said with a wink. 

She closed the photo album and stood up from the couch. Offering her hand, she waited until he took it before leading him through the maze of boxes they'd yet to unpack toward their bedroom. Their living arrangement was something new for both of them, but as the days went by, YN found that the more time she spent with Bucky, the happier she was. And to think, it all started with a simple bouquet of flowers.

** _~ The End ~_ **

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_Author's Note: Thank you for reading Day 308 of my writing challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! Did you like the way this one ended? Time jumps are always fun because you get to see where these characters end up and how happy they are. Did you enjoy the little walk down memory lane? I wanted to highlight a few of the other parts to really tie this one up with a nice red bow. Life might not always be perfect for those two, but they're on the right track. I hope you enjoyed this Miniseries, and I look forward to your comments. If you enjoyed this story, please consider reblogging!_


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